TOWARDS EVENING, Father, the shadows fall Along my way; 'Tis past the noon of day: My 'western sun' tells me that the eve is near; I know, but feel no fear. And loved ones have gone home A holy band. I hear them call me from the spirit land— A gentle call; Yes, dear ones, I shall come. O, not alone! though now I lead the van, And with uncovered head Press on where others led, Where my young life began. I am not left alone, Though they are gone; Sweet voices of the past, And of to day The loved that round my way Still twine around my heart, Tell me how good thou art. O holy Light and Love! Beam on my soul, My inmost life control! Then may each pure thought spring, And peace, with gentle wing, Brood like the dove. HE chapel of which the above is a representation, is situate in Berkhampstead, a healthy little town about twenty-eight miles North West of London. It is chiefly one wide street about a mile long, and has about 4,000 inhabitants, on our Reading Circuit, in Berkshire. Having a promise of help from Thomas Baker, Esq., to mission Hertfordshire, they sent brothers Herbert and Warnes to this locality, thirty years ago, and here our brethren had an uncomfortable reception, for the mob gave them the contents of the water engine; but this did not deter them from persevering. However, of the first twelve years, i.e., from 1840 to 1852, I can find no accounts; but, the next fifteen quarters did bring in five shillings and one penny towards the support of the station, making an average of fourpence and a quarter of a farthing per quarter. And that too for nearly four years. TOWARDS EVENING. Father, the shadows fall Along my way; 'Tis past the noon of day: My 'western sun' tells me that the eve is near; I know, but feel no fear. And loved ones have gone home A holy band. I hear them call me from the spirit land— A gentle call; Yes, dear ones, I shall come. O, not alone! though now I lead the van, And with uncovered head Press on where others led, Where my young life began. I am not left alone, Though they are gone; Sweet voices of the past, And of to day The loved that round my way Still twine around my heart, Tell me how good thou art. O holy Light and Love! Beam on my soul, My inmost life control! Then may each pure thought spring, And peace, with gentle wing, Brood like the dove, HE chapel of which the above is a representation, is situate in Berkhampstead, a healthy little town about twenty-eight miles North West of London. It is chiefly one wide street about a mile long, and has about 4,000 inhabitants, on our Reading Circuit, in Berkshire. Having a promise of help from Thomas Baker, Esq., to mission Hertfordshire, they sent brothers Herbert and Warnes to this locality, thirty years ago, and here our brethren had an un-comfortable reception, for the mob gave them the contents of the water engine; but this did not deter them from persevering. However, of the first twelve years, i.e., from 1840 to 1852, I can find no accounts; but, the next fifteen quarters did bring in five shillings and one penny towards the support of the station, making an average of fourpence and a quarter of a farthing per quarter. And that too for nearly four years. "Faint yet persevering," might have been adopted by these missionaries as their motto. However, these men of God steadfastly went forward, and though St. Albans was twelve miles distant, where the superintendent resided, it is a source of gratitude to say I don't hear of any complaint of disappointments. A room was rented 12 feet by 9 feet in Castle-street, for which Charlotte Higgs and Miss Clarke had work enough to raise the rent, which was £1 per quarter. These friends, with Mr. Hewlett's family and a few others, sometimes procured the preacher a cup of tea. Brother Aldridge and the Crouchfield friends occasionally came to help at special efforts to make up the deficiency of rent. About a dozen years since Mr. and Mrs. Griffin and a few others settled here, and things were put on a better footing, an impetus was given to the work,-the class was more fully attended to, and with the help of these friends the rent of the room and the income of quarter-day considerably improved. Society rose so that at my first quarter-day here, which was in September, 1865, the society numbered eleven members, and brought in fourteen shillings. Our camp meeting this autumn was a very powerful one; the processioning was great and our street preaching had a gracious effect. Tae preaching room became crowded, and brothers Palmer and Watson, with all our friends, urged that I would use my uttermost endeavours to get them a chapel. One winter morning I started long before daylight and walked here to see a gentleman whom we hoped would help us, but he told me that he thought no land could be got for our purpose. However, I continued my search, and, in the course of a year, succeeded in procuring a site for £116, in the best situation in the town, in High-street, which site was 36 feet wide, and 110 feet deep, and freehold. Mr. Osborne drew out our plans for the chapel, 40 feet long and 30 feet wide, and 23 feet to the ceiling, having 19 windows, being so constructed that a gallery can be put in it. We have set the chapel back 21 feet from the street, and have 50 feet in the rear for school and vestry purposes, where too we have a right of road to Park-street. From the back of our chapel can be seen a considerable distance along the railroad and Grand Junction Canal. So I deemed it well to have our denominational name, PRIMITIVE, inserted across the back gable, and the letters, being nearly three feet long of black bricks set in grayish ones, can be read by the naked eye on the northern bills a mile off. I secured a loan of £200 from Miss Barneley, of Shamrock Vale, Lisburn, Ireland, that we might be able to carry out our intended engage. ments. The Society and friends held monthly sewing and tea meetings, and by which means they raised upwards of £20. The neighbourhood |